Thomas



, (Model) T. 0. RYAN.

. GAR COUPLING.

Patented M3411. 7,1882.

WITNESSES. W ZfC/QJQ ATTORNEYS.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. RYAN, OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM LINDENMEIER, OF SAME PLAOE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 254,702, dated March 7., 1882.

Application filed January 4, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it kn own that I, THOMAS 0. RYAN, of Fort Collins, in the county of Larimer and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of my improvement, taken through the line 3 y, Fig.2. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, taken through the line as .r, Fig. 1.

The object of this inventionis to provide carcouplings constructed in such a manner that they can be readily set to couple the cars automatically as they are run together.

The invention consists in a car-couplin g constructed with bumper-heads having side apertures, pivoted plates, and their springs for supportingthe coupling-pins when raised, springactuated levers for holding the coupling-pins, and a coupling-link; also, in the combination, with the bumper-head having side aperture, of a pivoted plate and its spring, whereby the said plate will support the coupling-pin when raised, and will be pushed from beneathrthe said pin by the entering link; also,in the combination, with the bumper-head and the coup ling-pin, of a lever and its fulcrum-stud, whereby the said coupling-pin can be readily raised to uncouple the cars; also, in the combination, with the bumper-head and the lever carrying the coupling-pin, of a spring, whereby thecoupling-pin will be held down in its place; and, also, in the combination, with the bumper-head and the pin-carrying lever, of a button, whereby the said lever can be locked in place when holding the coupling-pin raised, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents bumper-heads, which are designed to be connected with cars in the ordinary manner. The bumper-heads A are provided with long shallow cavities O, to receive the coupling-link D, which cavities are made with hopper-shaped mouths to guide the entering coupling-link D into place.

E is the coupling-pin, which passes down through a hole in the bumper-head A and through the link D. The upper end of the coupling-pin E is hinged to the end of a lever, F, which is fulcrumed to the upper end of a stud, Gr, attached to the bumper-head A at a little distance from its forward end. The rear end of the lever B projects, so that it can be readily operated to raise and lower the pin E. The rear end of the lever F is held up, holding the coupling-pin E down to its place and preventing it from jumping up, by a spiral or other suitable spring, H, interposed between the bumper-head and the rear end of the said lever, as shown in Fig. 2. Levers or rods can be connected with the rear ends of the levers F, and extended to the sides or tops of the cars, so that the said levers F can be operated from the said sides and tops of the cars, when desired.

In one side of each bumper-headAis formed an aperture, I, within which is placed a triangular plate, J. The plate J is pivoted at its angle to the bumper-head A, at the forward end of the aperture I, so that its inner angle can be turned into the interior, 0, of the bumper -head, to pass beneath the lower end of the coupling pin E and support the said pin when it is raised and the link D is withdrawn. The rear edge of the plate J is curved upon the arc of a circle having its center at the pivot of the said plate, so that the said edge will he always close to the rear end of the aperture I.

To the outer angle of each plate J is attached the forward end of a spiral spring, K, the other end of which is attached to the rear part of the side of the bumper-head A, so that the tension of the said spring will tend to turn the plate J and bring the inner angle of the said plate into the interiorof the said bumper-head. With this construction, when the pin E is raised and the link D is withdrawn, the tension of the spring K turns the inner angle of the plate J inward beneath the lower end of the said pin E to support the said pin in a raised position, so that when the cars are run together the end of the coupling-link D as it enters the bumper-head A will strike against the edge of the plate J and push the inner angle of the said plate J back from beneath the coupling-pin E, and allow the said couplingpin to drop through the coupling-linkD,coupling the cars.

The coupling-pin E can be locked in araised position by turning a button, B, pivoted to the top of the bumper-head A, over the rear end ilaahe lever F, as shown in the left-hand part of Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters ters Patent- 1. A car-coupling constructed substantially as herein shown and desoribed,and consisting of the bumper-heads A, having side apertures, I, the pivoted platesJ and their springs K, the spring-pressed levers F, carrying the couplingpins E, and the link D, as set forth.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the bumper-head A, provided with the side aperture, I, of the triangular plate J, having its rear edge curved on the arc of a circle and pivoted at its angle at the forward end of the said aperture, and the spiral spring K, attached to the outer angle ofthe said plate and to the draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the bumper-head A, provided with the stud G, and the coupling-pin E, of the lever F, the spiral spring H, and the button B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS 0. RYAN.

Witnesses:

JAY H. BOUGHTON, THOS. M. COTTON. 

